Two teams will show up at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Tuesday, though for one of them, nothing is at stake. Delhi Daredevils have already been knocked out and the only thing they can achieve is to make Chennai Super Kings' path to the playoffs harder. Super Kings lost their No.1 spot to Mumbai Indians late on Monday, on the basis of net run rate.* A win from their next two games is enough to ensure a place in the final four. Having come this far, Super Kings won't settle for anything less than pole position for the playoffs.

They face the easier of their two opponents on Tuesday, before heading to Bangalore where Royal Challengers Bangalore have an unbeaten record. Super Kings were defeated comprehensively by Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur, though the game was more evenly matched than the scorecard suggests. Super Kings are known to start off slowly before accelerating in the second half of the innings, but bizarrely, on Sunday, it was the other way round. Regular fall of wickets stalled their progress and they ended with a below-par 141. Their bowlers posed a threat in the early stages of the chase but, for the second time in the evening, Royals took control in the second half, thanks largely to Shane Watson's assault.

If Super Kings win both their games, they are certain of finishing in the top two. If they lose both, they could be level on 20 points with two other teams, thereby leaving the final word with the net run rate. During Super Kings' dream run of seven consecutive wins, there was the likelihood of their final few games turning inconsequential, but two defeats against Mumbai and Royals have given their game against Daredevils more context.

Form guide

Chennai Super Kings LWLWW (most recent first)Delhi Daredevils LLLWW

In the spotlight

In the post-match presentation in Jaipur, MS Dhoni highlighted one weakness in Super Kings' bowling, which led to their defeat. If the spinners get hammered, are the seamers good enough to fall back on? R Ashwin, their best spinner, haemorrhaged 23 off his only over, giving Royals the break they were looking for in a faltering chase. It compelled Dhoni to rely on his seamers, but the due of Dwayne Bravo and Chris Morris weren't good enough backup, going for 71 off seven overs. It's an area of concern for Daredevils too, as two of their main seamers, Morne Morkel and Umesh Yadav, went for a combined 100 off eight overs. Yadav leaked 65 of those off his four overs, making it the second most expensive figures in the IPL behind Ishant Sharma (66). Morkel, lukewarm through this tournament, went wicketless. Against Super Kings' lower order, they will have to get their act together.

Stats and trivia

Two of Super Kings' biggest wins in terms of runs have come against Daredevils. Both were by 86 runs - the first was in Chennai last year and the second at the Kotla last month

MS Dhoni has effected the most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in IPL 2013 with 12 (10 catches and two stumpings)

Quotes

"We are comfortably placed in the points table but we don't want to take anything for granted. So, the next game is going to be much more important for us."Super Kings opener M Vijay

"With Mahela [Jayawardene] not travelling with us to Chennai, it's another opportunity for one of the international players to step up and I think I will be going back up the order as well, so hopefully I can put some fire in the top of our order again."Daredevils stand-in captain David Warner

During RR vs CSK, the supporters of MI ,RCB and SRH would have cheered for CSK to win. This time (CSK vs DD) they all will be cheering against CSK. This is IPL for you.

CSK will be under some pressure after losing the first spot to MI. But they have a chance to get it back. Thus, DD will not be taken light. With their bowlers struggling to find the rhythm, it is not going to be easy at all for CSK even though DD doesn't have their batsmen in the best of forms. The last thing CSK need is the Sehwag special in this IPL. Hope Ashwin would have learnt a lot from the only over he bowled against the RR.

For DD, it's the pay back time. They would not have forgotten their humiliating defeat in front of their home crowd against the CSK earlier in this season. With pressure on CSK, there cannot be a better chance for DD to pay back. If atleast 3 out of Sehwag, Warner, Rohrer, Umesh, Morne, Irfan can create some impact, DD can pull it off.

Can the devils scare the lions in their own den?

rajeshmailtocsk
on May 14, 2013, 13:32 GMT

I can see, most of the comments saying either against CSK or CSK wont qualify for the play-off's. I hope those all MI, RR or RCB fans. Hope they dont want to face CSK in their play-off's match (this means SRH wont come into play-off party...they cant win matchs with big margin...and still they are in negative net RR).

This shows how CSK will handle the situation in the play-off's. Those teams should remember, CSK proved their capability in the past. I wont say CSK is be deserved for the cup...but CSK will fight till the end...real sportmanship...I will always whistle for CSK...no matter what...

Tru_Cricket_Fan
on May 14, 2013, 13:10 GMT

Every year, there is one individual who takes the match away from CSK. In 2011 it was Paul Valthaty, in 2012 it was Bisla. This year it was Watson.

true_point
on May 14, 2013, 9:53 GMT

Hope we get an opportunity to watch M. Morkel bowling to A. Morkel and vice-versa.

on May 14, 2013, 9:51 GMT

hussey, faf, bravo, albie....would be overseas players for CSK !!!! get Faf in...!!!!! we cant make him wait for long !!!!

on May 14, 2013, 9:38 GMT

I don't know how many of your agree or not, but Mohit Sharma is one of the main reasons behind CSK grand success in this tournament. He is the BEST POWERPLAY BOWLER in this IPL.

Thyagu5432
on May 14, 2013, 9:33 GMT

I can't understand how anybody can ask for Vijay to be dropped. He is a big match player. He showed glimpses of what he can do in the last two games (mind you, against RR his strike rate took a hit only in the later part of his innings). My instinct says, Vijay is going to be the man from now to the finals. Albie can come in for Holder to add that extra zing in the batting, just in case.

Two crucial matches for CSK and to ensure they are one of the top 2, it is better they win both so that they can afford to lose 1 in the play off and still reach the finals.

true_point
on May 14, 2013, 9:04 GMT

A must win game for CSK. Depends on team selection. If i were Dhoni/Stephen Fletcher, i would drop Vijay and bring in Saha. Drop Holder and bring in Morkel which gives a pinch hitting option in the middle overs. Holder did well last time, because the pitch got spiced up due to rain. Drop Ashwin and bring in Annrirudha. Can get 16 overs from Morkel, Mohit, Bravo and Morris, another 4 from Jadeja. If any of them have an off day, Raina can pitch in. Hussey, Bravo, Morkel and Morris make the 4 foreign players. With Saha or Annirudh, they have a pinch hitter option in the first power play overs. Dhoni should play his cameo after settling down. Team selection should be based on performance and also the pitch and weather conditions - facts and not some esoteric mumbo jumbo.

on May 14, 2013, 9:01 GMT

Time for speculators , I suppose . It only adds to the joy of watching IPL , that the same spectator roots for a team on one day and against the next day . At the end of it all , the teams that qualify for the plat offs will be CSK , RR , MI and RCB .

SudhaMP
on May 14, 2013, 8:55 GMT

CSK is very heavily dependent on Mike Hussey. If DD can target Hussey and get him early, its their game definitely. Dhoni should stop going for unnecessary shots early in the crease. He can afford to plat some dot balls, because he can do justice later. I can sense a win for DD today.

on May 13, 2013, 20:53 GMT

During RR vs CSK, the supporters of MI ,RCB and SRH would have cheered for CSK to win. This time (CSK vs DD) they all will be cheering against CSK. This is IPL for you.

CSK will be under some pressure after losing the first spot to MI. But they have a chance to get it back. Thus, DD will not be taken light. With their bowlers struggling to find the rhythm, it is not going to be easy at all for CSK even though DD doesn't have their batsmen in the best of forms. The last thing CSK need is the Sehwag special in this IPL. Hope Ashwin would have learnt a lot from the only over he bowled against the RR.

For DD, it's the pay back time. They would not have forgotten their humiliating defeat in front of their home crowd against the CSK earlier in this season. With pressure on CSK, there cannot be a better chance for DD to pay back. If atleast 3 out of Sehwag, Warner, Rohrer, Umesh, Morne, Irfan can create some impact, DD can pull it off.

Can the devils scare the lions in their own den?

rajeshmailtocsk
on May 14, 2013, 13:32 GMT

I can see, most of the comments saying either against CSK or CSK wont qualify for the play-off's. I hope those all MI, RR or RCB fans. Hope they dont want to face CSK in their play-off's match (this means SRH wont come into play-off party...they cant win matchs with big margin...and still they are in negative net RR).

This shows how CSK will handle the situation in the play-off's. Those teams should remember, CSK proved their capability in the past. I wont say CSK is be deserved for the cup...but CSK will fight till the end...real sportmanship...I will always whistle for CSK...no matter what...

Tru_Cricket_Fan
on May 14, 2013, 13:10 GMT

Every year, there is one individual who takes the match away from CSK. In 2011 it was Paul Valthaty, in 2012 it was Bisla. This year it was Watson.

true_point
on May 14, 2013, 9:53 GMT

Hope we get an opportunity to watch M. Morkel bowling to A. Morkel and vice-versa.

on May 14, 2013, 9:51 GMT

hussey, faf, bravo, albie....would be overseas players for CSK !!!! get Faf in...!!!!! we cant make him wait for long !!!!

on May 14, 2013, 9:38 GMT

I don't know how many of your agree or not, but Mohit Sharma is one of the main reasons behind CSK grand success in this tournament. He is the BEST POWERPLAY BOWLER in this IPL.

Thyagu5432
on May 14, 2013, 9:33 GMT

I can't understand how anybody can ask for Vijay to be dropped. He is a big match player. He showed glimpses of what he can do in the last two games (mind you, against RR his strike rate took a hit only in the later part of his innings). My instinct says, Vijay is going to be the man from now to the finals. Albie can come in for Holder to add that extra zing in the batting, just in case.

Two crucial matches for CSK and to ensure they are one of the top 2, it is better they win both so that they can afford to lose 1 in the play off and still reach the finals.

true_point
on May 14, 2013, 9:04 GMT

A must win game for CSK. Depends on team selection. If i were Dhoni/Stephen Fletcher, i would drop Vijay and bring in Saha. Drop Holder and bring in Morkel which gives a pinch hitting option in the middle overs. Holder did well last time, because the pitch got spiced up due to rain. Drop Ashwin and bring in Annrirudha. Can get 16 overs from Morkel, Mohit, Bravo and Morris, another 4 from Jadeja. If any of them have an off day, Raina can pitch in. Hussey, Bravo, Morkel and Morris make the 4 foreign players. With Saha or Annirudh, they have a pinch hitter option in the first power play overs. Dhoni should play his cameo after settling down. Team selection should be based on performance and also the pitch and weather conditions - facts and not some esoteric mumbo jumbo.

on May 14, 2013, 9:01 GMT

Time for speculators , I suppose . It only adds to the joy of watching IPL , that the same spectator roots for a team on one day and against the next day . At the end of it all , the teams that qualify for the plat offs will be CSK , RR , MI and RCB .

SudhaMP
on May 14, 2013, 8:55 GMT

CSK is very heavily dependent on Mike Hussey. If DD can target Hussey and get him early, its their game definitely. Dhoni should stop going for unnecessary shots early in the crease. He can afford to plat some dot balls, because he can do justice later. I can sense a win for DD today.

vijaipkm
on May 14, 2013, 8:49 GMT

Since having a good Indian batting line-up (Vijay, Raina, Badri, Dhoni, Jadeja), CSK should use one good overseas batsman (Hussey), one all rounder (Bravo/Morris/Albi) and two good fast bowler (Nannes & Ben Hilfi). This will be a perfect balanced CSK to face any team. My CSK team for rest of the matches - Hussey, Vijay, Raina, Badri, Dhoni, Jadeja, Ashwin, Bravo/Morris/Albi, Nannes, Ben Hilfi & Mohit.

CSK will thank their stars that DD doesn't have the Coopers and Binny of RR, who are mistakenly called pace bowlers while actually they should be called Fast spinners. CSK will be comfortable playing the speed battery of Morne, Umesh, Irfan and Agarkar even though Morne can be a handful on his day. However, the same holds good for Sehwag and Warner. If Morris and Mohit run miles before delivering the 140k ball, the ball will disappear at 280k.

I suspect Dhoni will ask for a slow pitch where Umesh and Morne will still be fast enough to be hit.

CSK has everything to lose while DD has nothing to lose. So DD will go hammer & tong on CSK bowlers. We need to wait and see if the swinging bat and the swinging ball will be on the same line or different.

DINESHCC
on May 14, 2013, 7:31 GMT

If RCB win today KXIP and KKR will be out. If RCB lose, MI, CSK and RR will be qualified for Play off.

on May 14, 2013, 7:29 GMT

@himal joshi, CSK is the most deserving team to be in the playoffs. If u think CSK doesn't deserve a playoff spot, u probably don't know anything about IPL. CSK will take the cup this time, no matter what any team does.

Unless there are some spectacular collapses on CSK's part and spectacular wins by SRH with huge margins, CSK is through to the play-offs because of their superior NRR over SRH. If CSK win both matches they will end up 1 or 2. All to play for. Hope everyone clicks today and CSK win by allround team effort and they can take that confidence into play- offs. When super hitters like Sehwag, Gayle, Watson, Miller, Pollard and the like go into their groove it is difficult to get them out. You have to get them out early in their innings when they are most vulnerable. Go CSK.

on May 14, 2013, 6:46 GMT

let us see who will scare whom csk will defintely win today and take its top position from mi thats of gurantee 100% this is a crucial time for csk all know how dhoni will react in thesee kind of situation

PerfectTen
on May 14, 2013, 6:41 GMT

DD can surprise CSK today with a few changes to their setup. Open the batting with Irfan & Sehwag and keep the left-right combo with Warner/Chand, Rohrer/Russell for the first 6 in the lineup. Include Botha in place of Morkel who may not be effective at Chepauk and even if it helps the faster bowlers, they anyway have Irfan, Umesh, Kaul and Russell. Botha & Negi/Nadim should be handy in case the pitch assists slower bowlers. Ofcourse, Jadhav makes up the final 11.

@mjrvasu: please can u tell me which team has more penetrative bowling unit? Even after 5 seasons, these guys never willing to learn. The team that performs well on a given day will win. I dont think RR since without watson your team is ZERO.

'CSK won't settle for anything less than pole position...' - that is a laugh! The side has no penetrative bowling, their key bowlers (excepting young Mohit and to some extent Bravo) are spraying all over the place. CSK has been shown up in their weakness in both bowling and batting. Above all, there seems to be a total lack of intent, and a full presence of complete predictability. Would be a bit of a surprise actually if CSK is not knocked out of qualification, and even if they do, they will be knocked out of the SF. CSK has been defeated by RR and MI comprehensively in the league rounds, and RCB very nearly did too. On the other hand, MI has been quite lucky. Without taking it away from their star performers, they have been on the receiving end of some generous poor captaincy and substandard strategy by their opponents, not to mention some appalling umpiring decisions. RR would be a deserving winner of this IPL, primarily because of their well-knit team show and sound leader.

buy why dhoni not give chance to some indian players in their squad like imitayz , rajpoot , aparanjith ,,,,,........

SRISESH
on May 14, 2013, 6:08 GMT

CSK should drop Vijay and pick the fearless Saha, so that they can get brisk start in the first 6 overs.

Shumbu
on May 14, 2013, 5:47 GMT

I think MSD should look at some changes for this match. Rest Vijay and bring Du Pessis at the top for an aggressive start. Hussey can hold the innings together and let others fire around him. Add a surprise package in the bowling department by bringing Imtiaz Ahmed. Replace Bravo with Morkel for those big hits. Final 11;
Michael Hussey, Faf Du Plessis, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni, Albie Morkel, Ravindra Jadeja, Chris Morris, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohit Sharma & Imtiaz Ahmed.
Good luck to Team CSK...

himal_joshi
on May 14, 2013, 5:42 GMT

i hope dd will beat csk with good margin to make easy for rr and mi to finish top 2. . . . they deserve it. . . i dont think csk should be in play off

on May 14, 2013, 5:24 GMT

will match take place first of all? all the stands have been sealed by corporation yesterday night

on May 14, 2013, 5:17 GMT

Anybody know What happen to Hilfenhaus...Is he injured? CSK really need him

shrastogi
on May 14, 2013, 4:37 GMT

I thought in the game against Royals Dhoni's heart wasnt in to batting and that is why CSK ended 20 short. Normally he takes a few balls to get his eye in but there he started going airy with the first ball. Dhoni this season is getting caught at boundary which normally he clears. This may have impacted his decision making while going for a hit. He shouldnt allow his mind to be rattled by past and play his normal game. If CSK want to finish in top 2 they have to win this one. As Royals, RCB, MI & Sunrisers have shown if you do well on your home ground you are bound to do well in rankings. So its time for CSK also to better its home record.

on May 14, 2013, 4:22 GMT

RR and MI will be keenly watching this contest and so am i. If CSK lose, it makes it that much more easier for MI and RR to make it to top 2. And it's not really that difficult. All it needs is a good day for Sehwag or Warner. Will it be today? I hope it will.

IndCricFan2013
on May 14, 2013, 2:12 GMT

OK, here is what CSK needs:

1) RCB or SRH lose one match or CSK win at least one, CSK qualifies. MI and RR match will ensure both won't finish on 24. Two win for CSK will ensure one of Top two teams. Losing one and winning one they could finish 2 or 3. to avoid 3rd in RCB match they have to make sure they stay above RR or MI RR.

2) If CSK lose both. MI and RR match will ensure not all 5 teams end on 20 either. CSK lose both, SRH and RCB win both 4 teams can tangle including CSK.
a) RR/RCB/CSK/SRH-20, MI-22/24. b)MI/RCB/CSK/SRH-20, RR-22. In this case CSKVsRCB match CSK need to ensure they stay above RR or MI on run rate. Since SRH plays last match and RCB can win with higher than CSK run rate.

Hence unless CSK win both, they need to make sure they do not lose badly on both matches and if possible stay above MI and RR after Delhi and RCB matches either to qualify or to stay in Top 2.

on May 14, 2013, 1:23 GMT

csk is a top class team they know how to perform under pressure so definetely csk will win we all know how csk played against srh so we cant take csk lightly

on May 13, 2013, 23:39 GMT

CSK need to replace Vijay with Saha and get Albie in if they are to have any chance of making the finals. Vijay is way overrated.

Chennai should have woken up by now and smelt the coffee... If they thought winning 7 games in a row made them invincible, the 2 defeats have brought them back down with a thud. Hope they take the Delhi game seriously and seal their playoff spot.

As much as I want Faf to be in, I guess its too late to make that change...So I will stick with the current opening pair...I feel Albie shud def be in.....Bring in Nannes and hope he performs decently...badri goes out, and we can probably ask ashwin to cover badris absence if required...here is my XI :

@Ram Kumar Maruthamuthu At this stage, No team(MI/CSK/RR) has not confirmed the Play Off Spot. If CSK lose to Delhi and RCB(in Bangalore) with big margin, and SRH beat RR and KR(Both games are in HYD) with big margin and RCB win two remaining games, then CSK will be disqualified. This scenario is rare and I hope my CSK wont lose bad to Delhi.

I want to see FAF instead of Jason Holder and Pickup Indian Fast Bowler instead of Badrinath. That should be our Best XI for CSK.
My Team: FAF, Hussey, Raina, Vijay, Dhoni, Jadeja, Bravo, Albie/Morris, Ashwin, Ankit/Imtiaz, Mohit.

on May 13, 2013, 20:29 GMT

@Ram:CSK has still not qualified as mentioned above.That there is a scenario where they could be tied on 20 points with other team
But if RCB loses tommorow then CSK will surely qualify else they have their fate in their own hands

on May 13, 2013, 20:04 GMT

CSK is already qualified for playoff due to loss of SRH to MI.The only thing want to concentrate is abt to get first 2 place in the table.........

Funny how people want Chris Morris to be replaced, he bowled an amazing over against KKR on to ensure CSK wins. I think Holder should be replaced by Faf. Vijay and Faf can open and Hussey can come in either 1 down or 2 down depending on the situation. Oddly enough, all the games that CSK lost were because of poor batting and not bowling.

Darshi007
on May 13, 2013, 18:53 GMT

CSK should give Hilfenhaus a game. Is he injured?

kempie
on May 13, 2013, 18:45 GMT

Faf Du Plessis has to be in the playing 11 for CSK & needs to prove his presence in the most consistent IPL team.

ramv11
on May 13, 2013, 18:33 GMT

I hope CSK learned the risk of not scoring fast enough in the first 10 overs in the previous game. The openers cannot score at run a ball. They need to play Faf and drop Morris and open with Vijay and Faf. Hussey should come in only if two wickets fall within the first six overs. CSk has no bench strength in the bowling department. So, the only viable strategy is to score or chase 200+ runs.

xylo
on May 13, 2013, 18:13 GMT

I expect Chris Morris to be replaced by Albie Morkel now that Morris is yet to hit his stride. With Morkel, you could expect the same if not better performance with the ball, and definitely a much better experience with the bat!

on May 13, 2013, 20:53 GMT

During RR vs CSK, the supporters of MI ,RCB and SRH would have cheered for CSK to win. This time (CSK vs DD) they all will be cheering against CSK. This is IPL for you.

CSK will be under some pressure after losing the first spot to MI. But they have a chance to get it back. Thus, DD will not be taken light. With their bowlers struggling to find the rhythm, it is not going to be easy at all for CSK even though DD doesn't have their batsmen in the best of forms. The last thing CSK need is the Sehwag special in this IPL. Hope Ashwin would have learnt a lot from the only over he bowled against the RR.

For DD, it's the pay back time. They would not have forgotten their humiliating defeat in front of their home crowd against the CSK earlier in this season. With pressure on CSK, there cannot be a better chance for DD to pay back. If atleast 3 out of Sehwag, Warner, Rohrer, Umesh, Morne, Irfan can create some impact, DD can pull it off.

Can the devils scare the lions in their own den?

xylo
on May 13, 2013, 18:13 GMT

I expect Chris Morris to be replaced by Albie Morkel now that Morris is yet to hit his stride. With Morkel, you could expect the same if not better performance with the ball, and definitely a much better experience with the bat!

ramv11
on May 13, 2013, 18:33 GMT

I hope CSK learned the risk of not scoring fast enough in the first 10 overs in the previous game. The openers cannot score at run a ball. They need to play Faf and drop Morris and open with Vijay and Faf. Hussey should come in only if two wickets fall within the first six overs. CSk has no bench strength in the bowling department. So, the only viable strategy is to score or chase 200+ runs.

kempie
on May 13, 2013, 18:45 GMT

Faf Du Plessis has to be in the playing 11 for CSK & needs to prove his presence in the most consistent IPL team.

Darshi007
on May 13, 2013, 18:53 GMT

CSK should give Hilfenhaus a game. Is he injured?

Tru_Cricket_Fan
on May 13, 2013, 19:23 GMT

Funny how people want Chris Morris to be replaced, he bowled an amazing over against KKR on to ensure CSK wins. I think Holder should be replaced by Faf. Vijay and Faf can open and Hussey can come in either 1 down or 2 down depending on the situation. Oddly enough, all the games that CSK lost were because of poor batting and not bowling.

CSK is already qualified for playoff due to loss of SRH to MI.The only thing want to concentrate is abt to get first 2 place in the table.........

on May 13, 2013, 20:29 GMT

@Ram:CSK has still not qualified as mentioned above.That there is a scenario where they could be tied on 20 points with other team
But if RCB loses tommorow then CSK will surely qualify else they have their fate in their own hands

CricketFanInCA
on May 13, 2013, 20:41 GMT

@Ram Kumar Maruthamuthu At this stage, No team(MI/CSK/RR) has not confirmed the Play Off Spot. If CSK lose to Delhi and RCB(in Bangalore) with big margin, and SRH beat RR and KR(Both games are in HYD) with big margin and RCB win two remaining games, then CSK will be disqualified. This scenario is rare and I hope my CSK wont lose bad to Delhi.

I want to see FAF instead of Jason Holder and Pickup Indian Fast Bowler instead of Badrinath. That should be our Best XI for CSK.
My Team: FAF, Hussey, Raina, Vijay, Dhoni, Jadeja, Bravo, Albie/Morris, Ashwin, Ankit/Imtiaz, Mohit.

Sharik.Mansoor
on May 13, 2013, 21:28 GMT

As much as I want Faf to be in, I guess its too late to make that change...So I will stick with the current opening pair...I feel Albie shud def be in.....Bring in Nannes and hope he performs decently...badri goes out, and we can probably ask ashwin to cover badris absence if required...here is my XI :